Comments on: The meaning of ‘independence day’ to a Zimbabwean refugee http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/archives/4064 This is Zimbabwe is Sokwanele's pro-democracy activist blog. It provides grassroots news and views from Zimbabwe. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 04:20:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: howell clark http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/archives/4064/comment-page-1#comment-274024 howell clark Thu, 07 May 2009 20:55:57 +0000 http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/?p=4064#comment-274024 sorry that your writings have only brought the muses of several texans to your attention. i have several friends here in cleburne texas that are originally from zimbabwe. most have regrets about not being at home just like you do about being in south africa. the folks i know have become very dedicated texans (americans) in their outlooks and enjoy and take advantages of the opportunities that poltical and economic freedoms allow. no one here is giving them any special breaks, they are making it on their own achievements by hard work. thats what will eventually take back zimbabwe from the likes of mugabe and his followers. keep the faith<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('274024','howell clark'); return false;">Reply to this comment</a> --- <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('274024','howell clark','sorry that your writings have only brought the muses of several texans to your attention. i have several friends here in cleburne texas that are originally from zimbabwe. most have regrets about not being at home just like you do about being in south africa. the folks i know have become very dedicated texans (americans) in their outlooks and enjoy and take advantages of the opportunities that poltical and economic freedoms allow. no one here is giving them any special breaks, they are making it on their own achievements by hard work. thats what will eventually take back zimbabwe from the likes of mugabe and his followers. keep the faith'); return false;">Quote from this comment</a></div> sorry that your writings have only brought the muses of several texans to your attention. i have several friends here in cleburne texas that are originally from zimbabwe. most have regrets about not being at home just like you do about being in south africa. the folks i know have become very dedicated texans (americans) in their outlooks and enjoy and take advantages of the opportunities that poltical and economic freedoms allow. no one here is giving them any special breaks, they are making it on their own achievements by hard work. thats what will eventually take back zimbabwe from the likes of mugabe and his followers. keep the faith
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]]> By: Ants http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/archives/4064/comment-page-1#comment-273990 Ants Thu, 30 Apr 2009 18:37:33 +0000 http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/?p=4064#comment-273990 <a href='#comment-273988' rel="nofollow">@Don Cox</a> - It occurs to me then, quite rightly Don, that one does not 'need' both freedom AND independence. If I had to choose - as Zimbabweans might have to - I would settle for what Texas has many times over before what Libya has. But that takes a certain maturity to realise, yes?<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('273990','Ants'); return false;">Reply to this comment</a> --- <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('273990','Ants','<a href=\'#comment-273988\' rel=\"nofollow\">@Don Cox<\/a> - It occurs to me then, quite rightly Don, that one does not \'need\' both freedom AND independence. If I had to choose - as Zimbabweans might have to - I would settle for what Texas has many times over before what Libya has.\r\n\r\nBut that takes a certain maturity to realise, yes?'); return false;">Quote from this comment</a></div> @Don Cox – It occurs to me then, quite rightly Don, that one does not ‘need’ both freedom AND independence. If I had to choose – as Zimbabweans might have to – I would settle for what Texas has many times over before what Libya has.

But that takes a certain maturity to realise, yes?

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]]> By: Don Cox http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/archives/4064/comment-page-1#comment-273988 Don Cox Thu, 30 Apr 2009 16:13:13 +0000 http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/?p=4064#comment-273988 "I am not independent. I am oppressed by politically power hungry and greedy leaders." Independence is not the same thing as freedom. Libya, for example, has independence but no freedom. Texas has freedom but is not independent. If you want freedom as well as independence, you have to struggle for it, as the ancestors of the citizens of free countries did. (And the present citizens have to be eternally vigilant to preserve their freedom.)<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('273988','Don Cox'); return false;">Reply to this comment</a> --- <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('273988','Don Cox','\"I am not independent. I am oppressed by politically power hungry and greedy leaders.\"\r\n\r\nIndependence is not the same thing as freedom.\r\n\r\nLibya, for example, has independence but no freedom. Texas has freedom but is not independent.\r\n\r\nIf you want freedom as well as independence, you have to struggle for it, as the ancestors of the citizens of free countries did. (And the present citizens have to be eternally vigilant to preserve their freedom.)'); return false;">Quote from this comment</a></div> “I am not independent. I am oppressed by politically power hungry and greedy leaders.”

Independence is not the same thing as freedom.

Libya, for example, has independence but no freedom. Texas has freedom but is not independent.

If you want freedom as well as independence, you have to struggle for it, as the ancestors of the citizens of free countries did. (And the present citizens have to be eternally vigilant to preserve their freedom.)

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]]> By: True Grit http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/archives/4064/comment-page-1#comment-273985 True Grit Thu, 30 Apr 2009 14:12:18 +0000 http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/?p=4064#comment-273985 Unless the government is encouraged to bring about genuine democracy in Zimbabwe and liberalize the political environment, the long-term economic outlook will remain bleak. Corruption can only be stifled if a free flow of information is available, through ongoing investigative reporting which exposes corruption. The facade of democracy built up by Zanu-PF over many years must be thrown, and continue to be thrown, in disarray. The MDC must not allow its ability to organize and mobilize its opposition to be thwarted, for the Mugabe regime's only real underlying goal is to hold on to power. But if MDC can mount enough challenges to be effective, both commercially and politically, regime change may well be achievable.<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('273985','True Grit'); return false;">Reply to this comment</a> --- <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('273985','True Grit','Unless the government is encouraged to bring about genuine democracy in Zimbabwe and liberalize the political environment, the long-term economic outlook will remain bleak. Corruption can only be stifled if a free flow of information is available, through ongoing investigative reporting which exposes corruption. \r\n\r\nThe facade of democracy built up by Zanu-PF over many years must be thrown, and continue to be thrown, in disarray. The MDC must not allow its ability to organize and mobilize its opposition to be thwarted, for the Mugabe regime\'s only real underlying goal is to hold on to power. But if MDC can mount enough challenges to be effective, both commercially and politically, regime change may well be achievable.'); return false;">Quote from this comment</a></div> Unless the government is encouraged to bring about genuine democracy in Zimbabwe and liberalize the political environment, the long-term economic outlook will remain bleak. Corruption can only be stifled if a free flow of information is available, through ongoing investigative reporting which exposes corruption.

The facade of democracy built up by Zanu-PF over many years must be thrown, and continue to be thrown, in disarray. The MDC must not allow its ability to organize and mobilize its opposition to be thwarted, for the Mugabe regime’s only real underlying goal is to hold on to power. But if MDC can mount enough challenges to be effective, both commercially and politically, regime change may well be achievable.

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